Friends,

We are sad to announce that the State of Alabama took the life of Christopher T. Johnson tonight at Holman Prison. Our thoughts and prayers are with Christopher Johnson’s family members, who are also the murder victim’s family.

We thank all of you who wrote, faxed and called the Governor to let him know that Alabama does not kill in our name and that we will not condone state assisted homicide, even when the individual requested it. We thank everyone who organized and attended vigils around the state and who joined with us from abroad. We thank the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP, Alabama New South Coalition, Alabama Arise, Alabama Peace Groups, the Quakers as well as ACAT-France for their support. As always, we thank our sister organizations JAM in Birmingham and the Quest for Social Justice in Mobile for all they do.

We know that justice is not done when a human being is murdered, whether it is by an individual or by the State and that includes, in this instance, the murder of a highly troubled and disturbed individual who sought the death penalty.

Thank you for continuing to stand with us so that one day we may overcome at last!
Esther and the Board of Project Hope to Abolish the Death Penalty